Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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She’s Sweet Sixteen

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The big day has arrived.

Our little girl is Sweet Sixteen today!

Don, Scout & Claudia

She’s sugar and spice and everything nice. She’s feisty and stubborn and, at times, a handful. She’s fiercely intelligent. She’s funny. She’s playful and determined. She lives life with gusto. She holds no grudges. She lives in the moment.

She is an angel. She is the gift that has enriched our lives beyond measure.

She is a teacher. Goodness knows, I learn from her everyday.

Oh, little girl, we love you so much. We are so blessed that you chose us that day long ago. Your dad-to-be saw you at an animal adoption event and immediately dropped to his knees and said “She’s such a girl!” You had been temporarily named Smiley and your smile won our hearts and the next thing we knew, you were in our car on the way to your new home – the home where your brother-to-be, Winston, waited for you.

You’ve charmed everyone you’ve ever met. You’ve loved your two brothers, Winston and Riley. You’ve traveled across the country. You’ve raced across a beach and swum in the ocean. You’ve chased fireflies. You’ve danced and played and pounced and made us laugh. You are our magic dog, our sprite.

Though you may not run like the wind anymore, you can gallop with abandon, for the sheer joy of it. You still love to pounce. And above all, your smile is a constant, your beauty everlasting.

We love you so much, dear beloved girl. Happy Birthday!

An outtake:

familyportrait2

Happy Sunday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Comments

  1. Happy birthday Scoutie! Enjoy every second. Pounce!
    Great post, Claudia! Enjoy the day specially with your pack.
    Hugs, Patricia and Bella

  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Scout !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    May you celebrate many, many more !!!!!
    With love from the Bower Cats, Mickey and Mizzou (we are girls too)

  4. Happy Birthday, Scout!! I enjoy reading about you, especially when you are in the snow and bouncing from one place to another! You are such a cutie!

  7. Moxie n’ Mortimer { Manx cats/ don’t realize their NOT dogs… shhh! } come by to wish you a SWEET 16TH Cake N’ Candle Day, SCOUT… mom and dad need to frame the top photo… beautiful family photograph!

    All the best from NH,
    The Sanborn’s

    • Thank you, Sanborns! (Photo has already been sent to the printer. Copies are being made!)

  8. She has JOY written all over her beautiful face. She is a gift, I can see that. Enjoy your day with her and pamper her silly (as if you don’t already). Kane (14 1/2) sends his best howl. Hugs, Deb

    • Thank you, Deb and Kane! She will be pampered, that’s for sure! (Right now, she’s snoozing in the ‘tunnel.’)

  9. Happy birthday to Scout. On the outtake she is smiling and saying you want me to do what?! Enjoy the day.

    • Exactly! We had to wrestle her for these photos and I had the timer set on the camera, so there was a sense of urgency! Thank you, Doris.

  11. Happy Sweet Sixteen Birthday Scout!! ((HUGS)) What a wonderful family picture, brought tears to my eyes. Have a fabulous day and Happy New Year to all!!

    Hugs

  12. What a beautiful tribute to your little teenager, Claudia. And such a milestone.

    Happy, happy birthday, Scout, from Ben (who will be 8 this September) and Sue!
    xxxooo

  15. Happy Sweet 16! You’ve given her quite the life and she has kept yours full in return! May you make many more memories together!

  16. Dear Scout, love these pictures of you with your mom and dad. How lucky you were to find each other, and how happy you look together. Have a wonderful 16th birthday, full of favorite treats and good naps…

    PS – my nephew Cooper [Golden Retriever 11 years old] and niece Penny [beagle 10 years old] say Happy Birthday too!

  20. Claudia, Your post touches my heart. You have truly enjoyed your Scout girl. She knows she is loved.I hope you and Don get to enjoy her for a long time. Blessings, xoxo,Susie

  21. Happy Birthday, Scout! My sweet Abby sends a “Woof” for best wishes & fun day! (Abby is my 4 year old Boston Terrier mix. I adopted her when she was 12 weeks from a local rescue group.)

  22. Huzzahs and 16th Birthday Salutations, dear Scout!

    Wishing you many biscuits and much romping and big kisses from Mom and Dad on this fine day!

    Woof woof xo
    Missy

  23. Happy Sweet Sixteen Dame Scout! I hope your day is filled with family and fun. Thank you for being such a blessing to your mom & dad. Hope you have a special treat on this your special day.

  24. Sweet Sixteen and one might say,
    “Never been kissed,”
    But that won’t play
    Because Dame Scout is
    Kissed a lot,
    From smiling face
    To her black spots!

    So, Scoutie Girl, enjoy your day,
    Just pounce and smile and bark and play,
    And from your fans and family fair,
    A wish for you to dance on air
    And eat lots of delicious bones (vegan, of course!)
    And party ’till the cows come home!
    I’ll end this quick before I bore
    And send you sleeping on the floor! ;-)

    Happy, Happy Birthday, Dear Scoutie!

    Happy Birthday to YOU!

    xoxox

    Mr. and Mrs. Magpie :-) :-)

  25. Happy Sweet Sixteen Dame Scout! We hope you have the most amazing day! Sending lots of love and kisses,

    Charlene and the Kids (Ransom, Halle and Ebby)

  26. What an adorable picture of the three of you! Happy Happy Birthday Scout! You are so beautiful!!

  27. Happy birthday dear sweet Scout! Hope this day brings you lots of hugs and kisses from your dad and mom and some treats maybe? Today photos together are the best ever especially the first one adorable ! A real family! My thirteen year old cat Lulu also wishes you a very happy birthday she’s your fan too! Love you!
    xoxo Alicia Buenos Aires

  28. Happy birthday Scout from Diane and Miss Molly , the Yorkie, from Alabama. We wish you good health, yummie things to eat, critters outside to enjoy watching as you go for walks and romps with your family, and the joys of contentment as you snooze and dream. Do you snore like my Molly ????

  30. Happy Birthday Scout!! That is an adorable picture of you and your mom and dad…I’d put that one in a frame! Oh, and Bowser wishes you a happy day as well…he just told me with his sweet meows! ;)

  31. A beautiful family photo! Happy Birthday, Scout. You are an amazing girl to produce such lovely and emotional words from your “mom.”

  32. Happy Birthday sweet girl !! Love the out take…She’s saying “It’s my birthday..Why do I have to go through all this??” Too funny!!
    Nice post..She knows she’s loved …

  34. Hi Scout!
    You are my inspiration ~~ in two years when I turn 16 I plan to be cavorting, smiling, showing off my beautiful fur coat and making my mom and dad happier every single day, just like you! Have a wonderful day with your beloved family (maybe they’ll give you a piece of birthday cake if you put on your cutest face). I’m on bird feeder squirrel duty today.
    Love, your chocolate lab friend, Nellie :)

    • Thank you, Nellie (My mom and dad went out and came back with something…it smells good, but they won’t let me see it. I think it’s for my birthday!)

  35. Happy Birthday Miss Scout! It seems you have only gotten more gorgeous! Your birthday pic with mom and dad is SO great (but I secretly LOOOOVE your smile in the outtake!!)
    Enjoy your extra special day birthday girl!

  37. HAPPY 16 SWEET SCOUT!!! Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your mom and dad. You are a beautiful girl and I love your gorgeous smile. May you have a great year ahead, too. Jill and Lizzie (the Norwich Terrier) from California

  39. Happy, Happy Sweet 16 Scout!! You are loved by so many! Sophie, Bear, Billy (my furry kids) and I wish you a day of extra special pampering and a year of good health and much happiness!

  42. I like the outtake the best. :) Happy birthday sweet Scoutie girl.

    Can you believe I actually forgot to wish my husband a happy birthday until after I got to school and then I sent him an email. Dropped my phone this morning and broke the screen. We thought out son was coming in this morning and turns out it is tomorrow morning. good thing we didn’t show up at the airport wondering where the heck he was. As it turns out, there were delays and diversions because of heavy fog. Hope it won’t be the same tomorrow morning.

    Best wishes to you all for a wonderful day. Tammy

    • Thank you, Tammy!

      Happy Birthday to your husband and so glad you’re going to see your son, Tammy!

  44. Wishing you a happy, happy day, with lots of hugs and kisses. I hope that you’re out celebrating with a special birthday walk. Please give Scout a birthday hug from me. So loved, that sweet, enchanting dog!

  45. Happy Birthday dear, sweet Scout! You have brought a smile to my face and touched my heart whenever you have graced the pages of this blog. I wish you a day of pampering and surprises that bring that sweet smile to your face. May you be blessed with good health and maintain that youthful spirit!

  48. Happy birthday, Scout! The positive forces of the galaxy made sure Scout found perfect humans, and the humans found the perfect dog. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

  49. I was looking forward to this post from you! The photo is a treasure. I am glad you commemorated the special day with a special photo. You are a handsome trio. I love that you both love your dog so much. You are a happy family. Beautiful Scout, Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

  50. Love the pics of you three together celebrating a very special birthday.
    Your hair looks lovely Claudia – seem to recall you had a cut recently – very nice. I’m growing mine out again, what a pain and it seems to be so slooooooooooow!!

    “Happy Birthday to Scout, happy birthday to Scout” X

    Love, Mary

    P.S. None of those doll houses in Country Living are anywhere near as beautiful as your lovely ‘home’. Also, whoa, the prices of those miniature pieces of furniture, accessories etc. I never knew!

    • Thank you, Mary!

      (I always go for a deal on my accessories! There are some very high end miniatures, but I’m all about doing it frugally.)

  53. Happy Birthday beautiful Dame Scout! may your days be filled with love and delight.
    Woofs and smooches from
    Otis, Chloe and Buster

  54. Happy Birthday Scout! What a beautiful little girl you are! <3 and very wise… you picked the perfect parents to share your life with! You are so loved!

  55. Dear Scout, Happy 16th Birthday! You are beautiful and I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I know you’ve made Mom and Dad happy with your antics and love.
    Our dog Candy will celebrate her 15th Birthday May 2.

    Love, Candy (Chihuahua) & Carol Ann (Person)

  57. Happy Birthday Miss Sweet Sixteen. Laughing eyes and a magic soul. May there be many more celebrations to come. Those photos are gorgeous!!!!!!!

  58. You three look so cute and content together. So sweet :) Happy birthday Scout. Thank you for all the joy you bring to your mommy and daddy and all the blog readers
    SueZK

  59. Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Scout from Dori and Corgi Millie! I love your outtake photo bestest! Such a smile! : ))

  63. Happy Birthday Sweet 16 !
    What a wonderful tribute mom has written in your honor.
    What a wonderful smile dad has on his face… They’re both so proud of you.
    Love the family photos- happy celebration day. Thanks for sharing it with me.

  65. Happy Birthday Scout!!!! You look so good for your age. Must be that happy, positive attitude. Hope your birthday was full of fun.
    Kathleen

  66. Happiest of Birthdays Scout! I love the outtake. You keep on keeping Mom & Dad on their toes. May you have many, many more birthdays together.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

  67. I’m arriving a little late to the party, but the sentiment is very heartfelt

    Wishing you a very wonderful 16th birthday, Dear Scout! You have arrived at a milestone few dogs reach, and this is a tribute to your loving parents, and to your own lovely spirit. I can see by the photos that you bring much joy to your home. Wish I could be there to give you a little scritch behind the ears, and say, “job well done!”

  68. Dear niece Scoutie, I am wishing you a very happy birthday with sugar and cream on top. I love you and I wish I could rub your belly.
    Hugs,
    Aunt Mere

  70. Even though you have a ton of comments, I’ll add my birthday wishes too. Happy sweet 16 to dear Scout, she looks as frisky and pretty as ever!

  73. Happy Birthday, dear Scout!! Sweet 16 and always being kissed!! Hope her day was a wonderful one. Happy BD from the 2 Greyhounds here,,,,,,,,, and from Mo, the cat, who believes with all of her heart that she, too, is a Greyhound. Each day is a diamond with our sweet fur babies!
    Hope there were treats!

  75. Happy Sweet 16 Scout!! I very rarely leave blog comments, but Claudia, yours and Don’s love and devotion to scout warms my heart. I have a little yorkie named Lucy and she is the light of my life. I hope that Dame Scout had a wonderful birthday!!

  77. if everyone in the world had a dog (or two), there would be no problems or cranky people! Happy Birthday to a special & blog-famous dog!!!

  78. What a beautiful tribute you’ve written to your beloved miss Scout. She is indeed a special girl, and she has a pretty great family too. Hope she got all her favorite things today. Happy Birthday Scout from Minka (our own 16 yr old girl cat)!

  79. Happy Birthday, Scout. Many happy returns from the kitties far away in the PNW. Please tell your mom how much I love her blogs. Last night, I finished My Sister’s Grave and really enjoyed it. An added bonus is that the story takes place in the Seattle area.

  81. Happy Birthday Scout!!.. and you know, this is the first time I have seen a photo of her next to you. She is more petite than I had imagined! Beautiful girl, lucky to have you.

    Also.. 152 comments!!! WOW, Claudia, you have gained a huge audience! :-)

    Happy Healthy New Year to all –

    • She used to be bigger, Karen, but the last year or so has brought some weight loss that I know is due to her age and maybe a bit of the kidney trouble that accompanies old age. And as for the comments, remember that half those comments are my responses!

      Thank you for the birthday wishes!

  82. Felicidades a esa dulce niña ! y que cumpla muchos mas !!!
    Besos para tí y la familia .
    Adelina

  84. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SCOUT, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!

    You don’t look a day over 9 sweetheart!

    hugs
    Sue

  85. hi Claudia – I just adopted a dog after being a “cat person” my whole life. After reading this post, I realized that it was in part because of they way you write about Scout and Riley that encouraged me to get Lukas. Happy belated birthday to dear Scout and I hope Luke lives to see 16. xo J

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